Watch highlights of last night's Merseyside derby I Debate: has Cahill ended Liverpool's title challenge?

This was supposed to be the story of one man. A man who was single-handedly driving his team towards their destiny. A man who put aside the trauma of an impending court case to score one of the most critical goals of his career. A man who took the opportunity to shove pathetic taunts back down the throats of the Everton supporters.

But, just as Anfield was preparing to acclaim another superhero act from Steven Gerrard, up popped Tim Cahill with three minutes remaining to put yet another spoke in the wheels of the spluttering Liverpool bandwagon.

As the final whistle blew, sparking frenzied celebrations among the away supporters, Gerrard looked disgusted. He had done his bit, driving forward to beat Tim Howard from 25 yards to give Liverpool a slender advantage midway through the second half, but, as he looked at the crestfallen faces around him, he was no doubt reminded of the words of Sir Alex Ferguson.

The Manchester United manager had suggested, with more than a touch of malevolence, that Liverpool would struggle to deal with the pressure of trying to win a first title in 19 years. Rafael Benítez, the Liverpool manager, was riled by the suggestion, but Ferguson was right — and no team could take more pleasure from proving it than Everton.

“Man U, top of the league,” the Everton supporters chanted gleefully, but there was a wider context to this derby match than just the title race. This was the first of two meetings at Anfield in six days for the Merseyside rivals, with an FA Cup fourth-round tie to follow on Sunday, two days after Gerrard’s date at North Sefton Magistrates’ Court.

Everton were not in a mood to cede any kind of psychological advantage to their bitter rivals and, having been unlucky to fall behind to Gerrard’s 68th-minute goal, the first that they had conceded in seven matches, David Moyes’s team rallied and claimed their reward when Cahill sneaked home a header from Mikel Arteta’s vicious inswinging free kick.

It was no less than Everton deserved for a valiant performance, with Phil Jagielka magnificent in the centre of defence, and, while Benítez would not have it, it was a kick in the teeth that Liverpool had coming to them. Unconvincing until they took the lead through Gerrard, Benítez’s players looked distinctly uncomfortable as the game entered its final stages, the anxiety from the crowd filtering on to the pitch and back again.

The tension was clear to see in a series of misplaced passes and mistimed tackles, most damagingly when Yossi Benayoun, the substitute, conceded the critical free kick with a needless challenge on Victor Anichebe. These, as Ferguson would no doubt point out, are the kind of things that champions — or aspiring champions — do not do.

Apprehension could be detected in the Liverpool ranks from the start, with Sami Hyypia, of all people, inexplicably conceding a corner with barely 60 seconds on the clock. José Manuel Reina, the goalkeeper, had already been called into action by that stage, diving low to his left to keep out a smart shot from Anichebe, and in the 26th minute he was required to make an even better save, this time scrambling to his right to push Cahill’s header around the post. Even without a recognised striker and the services of Marouane Fellaini, their marauding midfield player, Everton were making their presence felt, with Phil Neville and his colleagues constantly snapping at the heels of Gerrard et al.

By contrast, Liverpool were finding it hard to engineer any kind of opportunity. Much of the credit for that would go to Jagielka, who ensured that Fernando Torres, returning to the Liverpool starting line-up for the first time since pulling his hamstring on November 26, barely got a sniff. Only once did Torres escaped Jagielka’s attention. That is usually all it takes for the forward, but, racing on to Hyypia’s pass in the 28th minute, he was too casual, taking his time before shooting against the outside of a post.

The first half ended with a whimper, save for a brief skirmish between Martin Skrtel and Cahill, but the second began with a series of bangs. At one end, Torres, caught by Jagielka, threw himself to the ground — no penalty — and Hyypia was crowded out by Leighton Baines as he stretched to convert a loose ball from six yards. At the other, Arteta had a fierce free kick saved and Baines’s cross narrowly eluded Anichebe, who went over as he tried to wriggle past the uncertain defending of Fabio Aurelio. Again no penalty.

The tempo was rising and so, too, was Liverpool’s unease, both in the stands and on the pitch. It called for more composure, more wit, and, when Benayoun was sent on midway through the second half, it was inevitable that Robbie Keane, Anfield’s invisible man, should make way.

Within 60 seconds, which also saw another scare at the other end through Anichebe, they had scored. Not that Benayoun had anything to do with it; it was all Gerrard’s own work, the captain driving forward and letting rip from 25 yards, his shot flying past Howard to spark delirious celebrations.

That seemed to be that. With the game seemingly won, Benítez replaced the flagging Torres with Lucas Leiva, seemingly to shore up the midfield, but once again uncertainty crept in. Benayoun conceded the free kick ill-advisedly near the corner flag and, when Arteta swung the ball in, it was glanced past Reina by a figure in a blue shirt. Inevitably it was the irrepressible Cahill who emerged from the mêlée to lead the celebrations. A remarkable, yet not altogether suprising finale. Bring on Sunday.